Working on the Edge: Surviving in the World's Most Dangerous Profession: King Crab Fishing on Alaska's Highseas

Spike Walker and other crab fishermen have worked to and within mind-bending extremities, around Alaska. As the title aptly imples, they truly are 'working on the edge.'
i have to admit to feeling as if i were at sea whilst reading, apart from the intense cold. this is generally to do with his exacting language and apparent sense of balance, despite his sea-sickness, but as he quotes a fellow fisherman 'everyone gets sea-sick'. I know nothing about fishing or much about boats, but this had me riveted. You get a sense of the man who is writing, generally one who fairly romantic and strong, sometimes becoming enraptured by the whole experience in retrospective writing, but tends to keep that indulgence at bay, somewhat. If you like any sort of adventure, you'll really enjoy this. very readable. I want to give it 5 stars, but am giving it 4, only from the point of view that I am not an avid studier in his field and naturally, the adventurous parts will outweigh the factual parts, in interest value.

Over-rated (8/9 people found this helpful)

As a commercial crab and salmon fisherman who worked out of Kodiak and Dutch Harbor at about the same time as Mr. Walker (I am actually somewhat surprised that I never met him), I had looked forward to reading this book for quite a while. But - I was disappointed. The book is a fairly accurate depiction of the life and times. The bar-life and the life at sea are described pretty accurately. However, I found Mr. Walker's various accounts of his own exploits to be tiresome (everthing from bench-pressing crewmates to his own virtuous avoidance of the drugs that were so prevelant). Further, the book is not very well edited. Notwitstanding the extensive research that he claims to have conducted, the book is full of minor inaccuracies, mis-identified people, and misspelled words. For example, he refers to a marine radio as a "VHS" radio (it is actually a "VHF" radio). He also mis-spells the name of Peggy Dyson (who was in fact truly an icon for mariners in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska) as Peggy "Dison." OK, these are minor examples, but there are quite a few of these, and there were also a number of mis-statements of fact that I can't recall at the moment. These errors are pretty unprofessional, and they make the book somewhat annoying to read. Overall, it's probably worth reading just to get a feel for what the lifestyle was like during the Alaska Fishing Boom Years. But it could have been better.

Reading on the Edge!!!! (3/3 people found this helpful)

Walker puts you in his hip pocket and takes you out to sea. Arm in arm, Walker took me through finding a job on a crabbing boat to trolling the boomtown bars. While he was putting in 24 hour days crabbing I was exhausted, when he was enduring subzero temperatures I froze. His research brings the reader onto a boat then immerses him into a freezing sea. This real life account is 5 times the action as A Perfect Storm.

An exciting, gripping adventure from cover to cover! (0/0 people found this helpful)

Mr. Walker has a true gift of "painting" detailed illustrations with words! I felt as if I had been through every intense moment with these brave men and women as they lived and died on the high seas of Alaska. A terrific read!

As close to being there as you can be through reading (0/0 people found this helpful)

Having experienced many simular situations to the author during my fishing days, I need to tip my hat (Helly Hansen raingear hood, really) to him for putting into words what it's like to push human endurance beyond reality and what happens when you do. Too many have heard romantized accounts of big money without the counterbalance of pain, injury, and death that go with it. Hopefully Mr. Walker's account will slow the tide, and open eyes to unseen dangers. By the same token, what a thrill it is to have worked with the best of the best, under the most demanding conditions, and overcome it all - that thrill is there as well. Nicely done, Spike - I have the feeling I'd be happy to take a turn on deck with you any time (assuming either of us are still up for such foolishness!)

Working on the Edge: Surviving in the World's Most Dangerous Profession: King Crab Fishing on Alaska's Highseas

Spike Walker

Reader Reviews:

blimey! (1/1 people found this helpful)

Over-rated (8/9 people found this helpful)

Reading on the Edge!!!! (3/3 people found this helpful)

An exciting, gripping adventure from cover to cover! (0/0 people found this helpful)

As close to being there as you can be through reading (0/0 people found this helpful)

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